Throughout the long history of the United States there have been many dedicated and hard-working politicians who have made our country strong and resilient. In the period of greatest danger for our country, one stood out more than any other. This man was Abraham Lincoln, one of the most resilient and crucial leaders we have known. Abraham Lincoln came from humble beginnings in remote parts of Kentucky. He was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm in southeastern Hardin County, Kentucky. Her father (Thomas Lincoln) was a poverty-stricken frontiersman after losing his farm, who along with his wife (Nancy Hanks Lincoln) and other children had to work hard every day for the necessities of life. Lincoln was no stranger to hard work; he split logs, plowed his family's land, and used his carpentry skills on the farm. He preferred reading and learning to hard work which caused a strained relationship between him and his father. He received only 18 months of formal education and was largely self-taught. In 1816 Lincoln's father lost his farm and was forced to move to Perry County, Indiana. This area of ​​the country near the Ohio River was very remote and rugged. Their first winter on the new farm was very harsh but they managed to survive. Unfortunately that summer Lincoln's mother died of a fatal disease known as the "milk sickness" and left his father with the children to raise alone (Lincoln research project). After his mother's death the family disintegrated and most of the day-to-day work was left to Lincoln and his sister. In the winter of 1819 Lincoln's father returned to Kentucky and found a new wife Sarah Bush Johnson, who was a widow with three children (notable biographies.com). His n......middle of paper......motivated to be there to remember the soldiers who died in battle. He played on their strong emotions by urging them not to let these soldiers die in vain, but to let their memory give them renewed strength to win the war. His most important goal was to strengthen the Unionists' resolve to continue the fight and save the United States. He also masterfully empowered his audience by conveying his vision to them by telling them to honor the dead soldiers by deciding to win the war, no matter what. I feel that through these two compelling speeches Lincoln was able to bring the country together and save the citizens from the depths of the Civil War. Through these speeches Lincoln demonstrated the power of the spoken word. Without Lincoln's genius and skills, the Civil War might have been lost and the world today would be a very different place.